Besides institutional and technical support, WEG provided two sets for traction, consisting of a water-cooled motor and a CFW11 inverter for the Solar Boat Amazônia designed by the Photovoltaic group of the Brazilian Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The boat was on display at Píer Mauá, pavilion 4, at the university stand at the Rio +20 Conference.
Designed to carry 20 passengers and two crew members, the solar-powered boat, catamaran-type hull, will be approximately 10 meters long and 3.2 meters wide. Still in its final stage, the boat will be used to meet the needs of the Santa Rosa riverside community in the Brazilian Amazon region.
The solar boat has 4 kWp provided by 18 kWp photovoltaic solar modules, which will feed two lead-acid traction battery banks of 48Vcc/300AH each. The energy stored in a battery bank allows for five hours of navigation.
Each battery bank feeds a DC/DC voltage converter which in turn feeds the CFW11 inverter. Each CFW11 provides the drive, control and protections necessary for the two motors of the boat.
The boat is expected to reach seven knots. It will be used mainly to pick up children in their homes and take them to the Santa Rosa educational center and bring them back when the classes are over. It may also be used to carry the local production.
The solar boat will allow to reduce both the pollution from diesel in riverbeds and the stress in animals because electric motors are silent.
